As we prepare to observe Memorial Day tomorrow, I am drawn to look back over the years to the very beginning of our nation. The men and women who have fought and died to defend our freedoms didn’t do so out of selfish notions of glory or self aggrandizement. I am sure they were frequently afraid, and even questioned the wisdom of the conflict they were involved in. But they put that all aside and did their duty. They served, and has been so eloquently stated: “All gave some. Some gave all”. Those heroes, many who lie in our national cemeteries, gave up all their tomorrows to protect their comrades in arms and our precious freedoms.
Monthly Archives: May 2017
It’s coming, unless…………
We continue to watch with horror the events overseas being perpetrated by “Islamist extremists”. The latest murders in Manchester are a classic example of the failure of a nation to deal with the underlying disease, while only treating the symptoms. The United Kingdom arguably has more surveillance cameras per capita than anywhere else in the world. They have not prevented one of the recent attacks. Yes, they may assist in the investigation of the crime after the fact, but by that time, the catastrophic damage has already occurred.
We are told that Salman Abedi, born in England to Libyan immigrant parents, was “on the radar” of British authorities. The fact that authorities were apparently warned five times by various sources that Abedi had been radicalized during visits to Libya, but did nothing about it, shows the abject failure of the system. Fear of being labeled as “Islamophobes” is more serious that protecting the homeland.
“Coexist”?
I live in an over 50 community. So, most of us should have lived long enough to make rational decisions about life experience and the consequences of those decisions. Sadly, there are many who live in a world of fantasy, and wish the rest of us to join them there. An example of that mindset is a bumper sticker I see quite frequently, generally on vehicles driven by women. It uses symbols, like the Crescent and Star of Islam, the universal peace symbol from the 60’s, the Star of David, and a Celtic Cross, to spell out the word “Coexist”. Lovely. Touchy feely. An admirable goal in life, but totally out of touch with reality.
People can “co-exist” only when both sides agree to do so. The tragic event which occurred in Manchester, England last night once again underlines the fact that in the present day, it is virtually impossible for any other society or religion to “co-exist” with Islam as it is presently constituted. To believe otherwise is naive and dangerous, both to yourself and those around you.
Check your six!
Those of us who voted for the Republican candidate in 2008 were voting FOR someone. I wasn’t a big fan of John McCain, but I was very troubled with what I was hearing from Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate that year, and felt McCain would be better for the country. In 2012, I and many others were definitely voting AGAINST the thought of another four years of the Obama administration. Sadly, millions of Republicans, many of them conservative evangelical Christians, failed to vote because the Republican candidate was a Mormon. Big mistake!
After eight years of a liberal tidal wave washing over the country, taking jobs, personal liberties and national pride with it, enough Americans, including previously loyal blue collar Democratic voters from the “rust belt” states, had enough and gave Donald Trump an unlikely victory in the election. Yes, as we are constantly reminded by the left and liberal media, Hillary Clinton got more votes than Trump. However, that margin came from a few big cities in very liberal states with what can only be called suspect voting records. Chicago (where the dead vote), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit and Boston (sanctuary cities all) are outspoken critics of voter ID laws. One must wonder why?
Save the Titanic?
Once again, Bill Whittle, on an episode of “Right Angle” which is viewable on YouTube, has come up with a perfect description of the current political state of affairs in this country. Basically, he said that the Democrats were like passengers from the Titanic, sitting in the few lifeboats which survived, and hanging onto the pennant of the White Star Line, attached to the stern railing of the ship, vainly trying to keep it from sinking. Think about that statement. What a beautiful analogy of a desperate, but completely futile gesture. In the current situation, the allegations about collusion between the Trump administration and the Russians is the pennant, and the Democratic Party is the Titanic.
From the first day of the Obama administration, the Democratic ship of state was headed for the iceberg, full speed ahead. After eight years, the Democrats had lost control of the Federal House and the Senate, lost most of the state governorships, and most of the state legislatures. The shining example of the first minority president had devastated his party by any reasonable measurement. Then, the final bit of the iceberg arrived in the form of Hillary Clinton. Her unbelievably bad campaign tactics allowed a Trump win in the only venue which mattered, the Electoral College. The Democrat Titanic was going down, but there MUST be a way to save it!
The Party of Resistance?
After George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election the Democrats did everything in their power to invalidate the results of that contest. With lawsuits and other actions, they prevented Bush from securing a cabinet until late in the spring of 2001. Meanwhile, the plotters of the attack on 9/11 were using the resultant governmental confusion to their advantage. The “dots” were not connected, and the attacks proved to be incredibly successful.
Now, seventeen years later, another attempt is being made to overturn the results of a Democratic loss of the White House. Using the mass media to spread accusations based on unnamed and unsubstantiated sources, the Democrats have succeeded in bringing the reforms Donald Trump promised to a screeching halt. There is no real replacement of the Obamacare debacle. There is no border wall under construction to stop the flow of illegals and drugs across our southern border. There is no reduction of tax rates for corporations or individuals. There is no “repatriation” of trillions of dollars of funds held overseas by American corporations, to allow those monies to revitalize our economy. There is no bold plan to repair our crumbling infrastructure. There is just a constant drumbeat to open investigation after investigation into how much the Trump administration has “colluded” with the Russians.
Adieu France….Adieu Europe As Well?
The election of Emmanuel Macron to the French Presidency does not bode well for that country, or the rest of Europe. The millions of French citizens who failed to vote because of a cynical belief that the outcome was preordained may come to greatly regret that decision in the future.
While the birthrate of ethic French has declined below so-called “replacement” levels, (as is the case in most Western European countries), the birthrate of “immigrants”, particularly Muslim immigrants, has skyrocketed. With many neighborhoods in the largest French cities, from Paris to Marseille, becoming Muslim dominated “No Go Zones” for French authorities, that countries cultural identity is almost inexorably sliding into oblivion. Charles Martel, who drove the Muslin armies out of France after the Battle of Tours in 732 AD must be spinning in his grave! Continue reading Adieu France….Adieu Europe As Well?
Gun Violence?
I recently had an epiphany. For many years I have had a concealed weapon permit (CWP), issued in several states where I lived. I took the required training and passed the background checks for the permits with no difficulty. Being a westerner, I grew up around guns and hunters. It was part of the culture. I had always assumed that American citizens had the right to self defense, and the obligation to defend others against random violence. Sadly, I no longer hold those views. This is why.
Contrary to Federal laws and our Constitution, some cities and states would arrest, convict and imprison me if they discovered that I had an unloaded weapon, locked in a container, and kept in the trunk of my car as I transited their state on the way to another state where my weapon was completely legal.
Should I use my weapon to defend myself, members of my family or others from a violent attack, even in a location where procession of my concealed weapon is perfectly legal, I could be arrested and prosecuted by overzealous local authorities. I can even be sued for damages by the family of the armed thug that I shot. It is a classic example of the victim having less rights than the criminal. Am I willing to accept that scenario in defense of myself and my family? Of course. But to defend innocent bystanders? Sadly, probably not.